Inertia
by Yersi Fanel
Summary: Simon understood why Lloyd chose the world over him, but he couldn't accept it.


**Title**: Inertia  
**Characters**: Simon, Lloyd  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Word count**: 1,949  
**Summary**: Simon understood why Lloyd chose the world over him, but he couldn't accept it.

**Disclaimer**: FlashForward is not mine and I do not profit from this writings; this is for entertainment propose only.

**Notes**: English is not my mother language, so you may to find some mistakes here and there; please feel free to point them out so I can work to make it better, thanks for your help.

* * *

Lloyd was doing what he thought was the right thing to do; he was well aware of the moral standards that Lloyd possessed to understand how his partner's mind was working right now and he understood that.

But he couldn't accept it.

It was truth that the global blackout had caused millions of people to die and if there were to be another one, even more were going to be walking the same path. It was understandable that Lloyd was trying his best to avoid that terrible outcome. But then again, those million were not help captive and being tortured in front of him right now, Simon was.

"Lloyd!" Simon was struggling, it didn't matter he was overpowered by those men, he was not going to give up, still behind clenched teeth he was indirectly calling for help, for Lloyd was the only one that could to that at the moment. "Tell them what they wanna know, Lloyd!"

He was dragged away and his eyes could only search for Lloyd, wishing for him to just give in a help him, he knew Lloyd shouldn't, there were millions in the line, but he didn't care, Simon was no hero, nor a martyr and yet there he was suffering for a cause that even thinking he did understand, he couldn't stand it.

And it was all because of Lloyd.

The question within Simon's head when the first strike came, full with force and spreading pain across his face, was "Why? He stood his ground, but soon there was a kick and the floor beneath his feet seemed to disappear as for a moment there was nothing to hold him and then he hit the ground, another wave of pain fallowed and he gritted his teeth to not scream, the question was still there.

Why? Even thinking he knew the answer, he repeated the questions. Why, why, why?!

...Why was Lloyd not helping him?

He understood why. It was because a single life was not to compete against millions in danger, it was because that was the right thing, it was because Simon could handle the pain, could handle the frustration, could keep his mouth shut and not scream.

But he just couldn't accept it!

Simon grunted hard as those delivered punch and kicks were spreading even more pain, there was a point in which he could heard Lloyd screaming for them to leave him alone, for he had nothing to do with this, that made Simon grinned for a second, before closing his eyes and received the impact of another kick.

If only Lloyd knew... If only he knew that he was more involved in this mess than being part of the team responsible of the experiment that might be part of the cause of the global blackout, if only he knew that Simon was part of this as much as Lloyd, maybe even more, but against his better judgment.

He closed his eyes and just endured the pain, because Lloyd was not helping him, but he understood why. It was because in the current situation, the twenty million people in risk were winning Lloyd's attention, but Simon was not about to give up, not yet.

And so he resisted, not accepting what was right in front of him, once again.

When those men forced him down and he knew for sure that there were going to be more than punches and kicks, his struggle became harder.

"No!" Lloyd's scream was the only thing that reached his ears, not the questions from the fat man he had come to hate so much, not those men forcing him still, he was not fighting over against them, he was fighting because Lloyd did care, but he knew Lloyd was not going to be able to save him, but at least he could fight to not let these men break Lloyd completely.

He screamed.

The pure hate he was feeling towards those hurting him fueled his voice, the selfish desire to have Lloyd worried over him once again also did.

Oh, and the pain... right.

Truth to be told, he was numb by this point, he was not feeling as bad as before anymore, even when now part of his finger was missing and he was bleeding hard from the wound.

When the men dropped him to the floor, he didn't felt the pain as his face was cut because he landed over a bunch of glass pieces, what he did feel was Lloyd cradling him in his arms, shaking him a little, calling for his attention.

Simon wanted to give a proper answer, but only a weak moan came out, for he was more beat up than he thought.

"I'm sorry; I'm sorry, so sorry..." Lloyd held him close, "I couldn't, I couldn't and now... I'm so sorry Simon..."

Simon snorted and looked at him with eyes halve opened, but didn't say anything. There was pain and regret in Lloyd's eyes, pure guilt over seeing Simon in such conditions, over choosing the rest of the world above the smaller man's safety, and Simon understood why he did it, he really did.

Still, he couldn't accept it.

He just shook his head, letting know Lloyd that he was listening, that he understood, but leaving him oblivious that Simon was not even near to just accept it.

Lloyd placed Simon on the floor with as much care as he managed, trying his best to not hurt him even more than he already was. Simon closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy the small moment in which the world was not overpower him from having Lloyd's attention.

The men returned, ruining Simon's small moment. He just braced himself for the upcoming beating, but Lloyd stopped them.

"That's enough, enough!"

Simon was too tired to move, he just felt how Lloyd was between the men and him, finally counting him among those he had to safe, somehow.

He was not angry when Lloyd's breaking point end up being a threat to his son, because Simon was completely aware that he didn't even stood a chance to compete against Dylan over Lloyd's attention, he didn't have to be a genius to understand that.

But the rest of the world? Oh, against that Simon indeed could fight.

He stood with his head high when the hood was placed over his head, for he knew he was not going to die, he just hoped for something to arrive quickly, because Lloyd was now the one in danger.

When he was pushed aside, Lloyd right beside him, he took the hood off his head to see that his something - someone - guided by God-knows-what to help them was a car crashing against the glass windows, he meet Lloyd's disoriented eyes when the man that had been restraining them fled from the scene. Simon took the discarded gun then and a bizarre idea came to his mind, he stood up and went after the man.

"Simon!"

He was tempted to turn around and return to Lloyd's side, but not now, he had to carry on with his plan.

"Hey!"

The goon was talking to him, but Simon was not listing at all, no, because he had something set in his mind and he was going to carry on with it.

"Word of advice: Next time, take the trigger finger!"

He shoot the man, killing him fast and just watching the blood slash over the car behind the body, he dropped the gun then, time to go back to Lloyd.

This was the first stage of his bizarre idea, the one that was going to help him to win Lloyd's attention over the rest of the world, minus Dylan of course.

Lloyd wanted to reach him once he was back, but the paramedics took Simon to the ambulance and the FBI agent witch name's Simon didn't bother to remember took Lloyd's attention away from him.

He let it pass this time, because the pain was starting to bother him again. Simon was trying to relax, but the middleman was right there, on the ambulance, threaten him, he hated this man, because was messing with his life, because was using power against him and Simon hated to be overpowered but on top of that, he hated this man for making Lloyd choose the world over him.

He could call for the FBI agents, tell them everything, even if he was Suspect Zero, because he could just tell the truth, letting them know that he didn't have a choice in the matter, that he didn't chose to stay awake during the black out and he was forced to lie about it.

Yes, he could do that but... what about Lloyd then? What would the boss of this middleman do against Lloyd then?

He concluded that he was not about to risk that, no. He was going to fight a way out of the net he had been caught on, until then, he could pretend and carry on with his plan to win Lloyd's attention.

Simon was going to find a way to help the cause Lloyd wanted, not for humanity's well being, the hell with that, but because that was Lloyd wanted.

At the hospital he remembered everything, making mental notes that he could use later on. Seek for help could be was something he was not against to, he just disliked to be "help" by those he couldn't really do a damn thing for him, but his professor was not one of those, he could help him.

Sneaking out from the female FBI agent assigned to protect him - or babysit him, whatever - was almost fun. The woman had skills he had to admit, she was good at fallowing him, he disliked that quite a bit, but she was good no less.

Still, she was not part of this, no; his so called "Uncle Teddy", the middleman who hurt him and Lloyd was something he had to deal with.

"This wasn't part of the deal!" Simon hissed, "Killing my father, taking Annabelle..." Force Lloyd to choose the world over me.

No, this was too much, this man and those behind him where too much. His professor's lifeless body confirmed that.

Simon glared at his so called Uncle and pushed him hard, making him fall onto the ground and pressed both hands against his chest, cutting the air supply from him.

This was just part of the plan, he told himself, his plan to take those men off him, to help Lloyd and to have one less unknown person for Lloyd to choose over him.

Maybe Simon was not able to stand against Dylan - he wasn't planning to, anyway - but he could take away the enemies forcing Lloyd to choose to save millions of unknown people over him, and reduce those millions that were not worth it at little, maybe it was not a significant number, but he was not going to stop.

Simon understood why Lloyd chose the world over him at first; it was not that hard to to.

But he couldn't accept, he was not going to and he never will.

Lloyd chose to save millions of unknown people over him once; Simon was not going to let that happen again.

He was doing this for his pride, for safety, for his family's well being, for revenge.

For Lloyd's attention.

Simon smiled to himself, this was just starting and in the end, he was going to get what he wanted, he was going to resist the course of actions and fight against the world's very motion if he had too.

And nothing was going to stop him.


End file.
